seven days left

We have seven days left to reach our goal of $10,000 to be donated to the Charity Water campaign.
If you don’t know what I am talking about, you can read this.
If you are entirely sick of hearing about this, just give me one more week.
In just one more week, you and me will have given them ………..

43861985 photo copyright Becky Straw.

A few months ago, my entire family was moved by this video to join the cause and give up our birthdays in exchange for clean water.

We asked everyone we knew to donate what they would have spent on gifts for us, on our campaign instead. With the kindness and generosity of so many of you, we have raised just over $4600. I truly thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Seeing my friends names pop in, seeing complete strangers names, seeing those anonymous $1…every time a donation came in, my eyes would well up with tears. I was completely moved from head to toe. Thank you. THANK YOU.

Well, guess what?

In order to say thank you, and to reach our goal of $10,000, I am sweetening the pot. I am giving back. I am SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS!

I am offering one complimentary photo shoot ALONG WITH the digital files from your session to one person who has donated.

That could be you! (Don’t you want it to be you?) I do!

Rules and Eligibility:

1. The shoot must take place in the Southern California area in March 2010. Any location, up to an hour away from Orange County is an option.*
*This means that even if you live out of state, if you can get your family here, you are eligible to win.

2. The shoot is for one family/couple/individual – no large family groups or events.

3. Proof of your donation to Charity: Water necessary

4. Donation of $10.00 or more

5. You can enter more than once, and you can also enter for other people!

So, whether you live here in SoCal or not, if you can get your family here in March 2010, and have donated at least $10, you are eligible to win.

To enter:

1. Make sure you can be in SoCal in March 2010 for the shoot.

2. Donate $10 or more here, preferably using the same name/email that you use to comment here.(If you have already donated, that counts too!)

3. Leave a comment on this blog post.

Winner will be drawn the first week of December.

If your name is drawn, I will contact you to obtain the proof of your donation, and once I have that you will be announced the winner!

Thank you so much – happy donating – and good luck!

Tara

PS. SPREAD THE WORD!

anna & georgio

Anna has been DREAMING of owning and taking care of a horse for many years.

Our friend Robyn is leasing Georgio from his owner, and invited us to meet him a couple of Sundays ago.

These are just snapshots mostly, but I had to share. They were just too cute together.

This is her first glance – I think he was a lot bigger than she imagined. (Her jeans were WAY too big for her.)

I have an unfortunate allergy to horses – I just brush them with my skin and I will break out in hives. I just smell them and have an allergy attack. So, I had to stay very hands off while Robyn walked us around.

Here, Anna shows us how she learned to hold the reigns properly.

And how to look reeeeeeeally cute on the back of a horse.

She was delighted, although a bit shy at first. I was so proud of her for overcoming her fears of getting on a horse much bigger than she expected. She was afraid to kick his sides – I am sure she thought she would hurt him. And her meek little tongue clicks and “whoa’s” were not at all stern enough to do the trick.

horse

After a short while, she seemed a lot more comfortable on him. And giggled every time one of her commands would actually work.

Georgie was very patient with all of us. Even when I wanted to take this silly photo of his ears.

I think she is in love. Georgie, I’m not so sure.

horse2

Perhaps the best of all was when she got to groom him after the ride. This was no plastic My Pretty Pony! THIS WAS REAL HORSE HAIR! OMG OMG OMG OMG SQUEEEEEE! I could just hear the inside of her brain making all kinds of glittery rainbow noises.

horse3